Improvement in low-water alarm for steam generators



@witch grains gateat @fitta STEWART Bi PALMER, 0F SYRAGUSE, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 62,150, dated February 19, 1867.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: i

Be it known that L S'rnwnnr B. PA'LnEiuof Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, and State of New York, have invented a new and use ful Alarmfor Indicating the Failure of a Proper Supply of Water in SteamGenerators; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, andcxact'description'of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, showing the Whistle-valve released, andthe arms contract-cd.

Figure 3 is an elevator, showing the whistle in action. i

Figure 4 is a plan of the yoke confining the upper pipe.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the whistle.

In the several figures the same letters are employed in the ldesignationof identical parts. v

My invention consists in a tube or series of tubes, in part of theirlength nearly horizontal, leading into the steam generator andterminating at the low-water line, so arranged that when the water` isabove the end of the tube the tube shall be lled with water, which,escaping on the fall of the water below the low-water line,

, will admit the steam into thc tube, creating thereby an agitationwhich will produce a crackling noise sufficient to call attention to thestate of water in the generator; second, in so arranging a tube orseries of tubes opening at the lowwater line of a steaml generator thatthe expansion caused by the admission of the steam inte the tube, on theescape of the water therefrom, when the water in the generator fallsbclonvitsunouth, `will actuatc a steam whistle or other alarm by certaindevices hereinafter set forth; third, in thc particular arrangement ofparts by which these results are attained.

The following description will enable a person skilled in the art toconstruct and apply my invention.

A is a pipe leading within the boilerand terminating at the low-waterline. It is closed'by th`e stopgcock A. The elbow B on the end of saidpipe receives the bent tube C, the arms of which-are nearlyhori-`zontal, but inclined slightly in the direction in which the water willllow in returning towards the boiler. The form of this tube isnotessential.; it may be in one piece or in several pieces united byelbows. The upper end of the tube is connected with the elbow D,terminating in the pipe E, the upper end of which is in the airchambcrF. 'These several parts are attached by bolts to the plate G. The pipe Epasses through a collar, H, the opening of which is large enoughto-permit the pipe to play back and forth with the movement of the tubeC. When the steam is raised in thc generator it will force the waterinte the series of connected pipes, comd pressing the air in the chamberF according to the degree of pressure. This water remaining stationarywill assume the temperature of the adjacent atmosphere, and so remainunless'the water in the generator falls below the lowwater line, when itwill instantly begin to 'low out of the pipe and the steam to press into'oecupy its place. This steam will pass over the surfaceof the waterin the 'horizontal portions of pipe C, and by its condensation and thechange in the temperature will produce a violent crackling noise,familia-rin the pipes in buildings heated with steam, and sufficientunder ordinary circumstances to call attention to the state of water inthe generator. In cases where a louder alarm is necessary pr advisable,I add to thc parts already described the following the pipe C is so bentthat its tension inelines to bring together the elbows B and D, or aspiral spring, P, is placed between them, the -tensioniof which drawsthem towards one another. They are held apart by the iron or steelbrace-rods M, which rest against the bearing m, at the other end againstset-screws m in thc recesses in the elbows B and D. When the steamenters the pipe C, on the fall of water in the generator below thelow-water line, the pipe becoming heated is expanded so that thebrace-rods M will no longer rest against and reta-in in place the elbowsB and D, which will be drawn together by the tension of the spring. Thearm I projecting from the pipe E or elbow suspends the hinged click K,which, with the descent of the elbow D presses upon and opens the valveN of the steam whistle L, to which the steam from the boiler enters atO. The whistle would `continue lo sound as long.Y as the elbow D isdrawn down, but it 2 allowing the valve stem to rise, and when thecontraction of the pipe C may be disengaged, as shown in fig has raisedthe elbow D sufliciently, the click will fall inte its natural position,as shown in fig. l, by the weight of the projecting ball 7c.

An alarm bell or otheidevice may be substituted for the steam whistle,as the particular kind of alarm forms no part of my invention, whichrelates to the devices for actuating an alarm, not to the alarm itself.

What I claim as my invention,A and desire to secure' by Letters Patent,isl. vIn combination with a steam generator, the pipes A, C, and E,connected and arrangedo operate substantially as set forth. Y

' 2. In combination with the bent pipe C, and elbows B and D, I claimthe rods M, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. i

3. The combination of the arm I, attached to.the elbow D or pipe E,click K, and valve stem N of the steam whistle L, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

Intestiinony whereof l'have signed my name to this specication in thepresence of twosubscribing witnesses.

STEWART B. PALMER. Y

Witnesses:

M. H. Wusrcom, J. HUNT.l

